Florida Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel maneuvers in action against the Florida State Seminoles during the second of Florida's 37-26 win earlier this season. / Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports

by David Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by David Jones, USA TODAY Sports

GAINESVILLE - Forget about the days of the Fun 'n Gun, the spread offense and footballs flying all over Southeastern Conference stadiums when Florida is in town.

This year marked the changing of the guard in Gainesville in Will Muschamp's second season as the Gators' coach. Florida is now a mini-version of Nick Saban's Alabama team that has won two of the last three national titles. Muschamp continues to revamp the program in the style he wants, as a former Saban assistant.

And it will be more of the same in New Orleans at the Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl. Fans dreaming of the days of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer should pull up a chair and take a look at the stats and what's ahead: This is Florida football 2013 and beyond. As the Gators arrive in New Orleans today, the battle plan should be pretty much what it has been all season -- lots of Mike Gillislee and defense.

Five things to watch for as the Gators try to finish the season with 12 wins and a top-five ranking for the first time since 2009:

1. Get the running game going right away.

Gillislee is Florida's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2004 and came on strong at the end of the regular season, finishing with 122 and 140 yards in his final two outings.

UF ran for 1,413 yards (117.7 per outing) in the second half of games this season, the best total in the SEC. The Gators had 50 runs of 10 yards or more in the second half of games, the sixth-best total in the nation.

"I think it just gives them a lot of confidence and it shows that I think they've hit a point where they're breaking through the consistency that we kind of wanted to strive for,'' Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease said of the 37-26 win in Tallahassee on Nov. 24, when the Gators were more physical than the Seminoles.

Florida also pounded the ball for 160 yards against LSU in the second half alone â?? almost double what the Tigers were giving up at the time (83.0).

So is it any secret what Florida will try to do against Louisville? Expect Gillislee to try to have one more big second half. Stat to watch? What he scores a touchdown, the Gators are 15-1, the only loss to LSU in 2010.

"He's one of my favorites of all time,'' Muschamp said. "He's a guy that's a great example. He was voted team MVP by his teammates in a landslide as far as the votes are concerned. So you see the respect he's got in the (locker) room.''

Louisville ranks 52nd nationally in rushing defense, allowing 151.1 yards per game, and should already be able to hear the train coming.

2. It's time for Jeff Driskel to step up and show big things are ahead.

The Gators will do everything possible to get him going early. The sophomore has thrown for 1,471 yards and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions. Those aren't the kind of numbers Florida's offensive crazed fans have grown used to.

Driskel won't ever be Tim Tebow, like some fans have hoped. But he's a mini version, also running for more than 400 yards. If you take out the sack totals he's run for 705 yards on 75 rushes. His 177 yards on the ground broke the Gators quarterback running record of 166 yards set by, you guessed it, Tebow.

The Cardinals could have a lot of problems with Driskel because they rank 85th nationally in sacks per game, about 1.5. Pressure has been Driskel's biggest issue this season. Without it, he runs wild.

3. Turnovers have been everything to this team.

The Gators are No. 3 nationally in scoring defense (12.9, the lowest allowed since 1964) and fifth in total defense (282.6). But it's the turnover margin that makes Florida special â?? with 19 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. Florida had 10 interceptions against teams ranked in the top 10 nationally, second only to Oregon's 13.

The Gators allowed just 29 points in the fourth quarter this season. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel could not get Texas A&M in the end zone on its final seven possessions of a loss to Florida in College Station, Texas.

"When it came down to where they need to go win games, they lined up and they were able to knock people off the ball and they were able to go win the fourth quarter,'' Cardinals coach Charlie Strong said of the Gators.

All-America safety Matt Elam is the heart of that unit, second on the team with 65 tackles and a team-best four interceptions. He's almost certainly headed to the NFL after this game and it's going out party.

"In talking to a lot of offensive coaches that face us, they've got to account for him and generally you don't hear that much from an offensive coach talking about a secondary player, that we've got to account for him as far as where he is,'' Muschamp said.

A stat that has UF's secondary excited: Louisville has thrown 424 passes this season.

4. Kicker Caleb Sturgis' foot.

He has missed one of nine kicks this season from 40 yards and farther and was a Groza Award finalist for the second year in a row. Of his 67 kickoffs, 29 were touchbacks.

Sturgis kicked three field goals in five different games and has hit eight from 50 or father in his career. Another senior, he's been the answer to virtually every Florida offensive problem this season. Without him, the Gators would have never been a top 10 team.

Asked what the future will be like after Sturgis departs, Muschamp said: "I don't even like to think about it to be honest with you.''

5. Gillislee, Sturgis and Elam will be the past on Jan. 3.

Loucheiz Purifoy is the future. Pease had a month to prepare how to use Purifoy, a starting cornerback, as a wide receiver in the bowl game â?? and in the future.

Take a long look at how Purifoy is used on the offensive side of the ball against Louisville. The sophomore is so talented and so explosive that he could end up being a two-way player much of next season. Defensively, he forced three fumbles, blocked a field goal attempt and a punt and had 51 tackles (which likely will lead all returning players in 2013 for Florida). Offensively, he's showing skills as a runner and receiver that are hard to avoid..

"Loucheiz is an athlete,'' Florida senior receiver Frankie Hammond said. "It's not so much about him being a receiver and reading so much, it's letting him go out there and play in space. Just give him a route and if he sees a certain coverage maybe convert it but with a guy like him you just want to get him the ball and just let him run and just let him do what he does best.''